Dan Reelie's Travelling Zoo
Another colorful oddity in the ruins of Cascadia, Dan Reelie's Travelling Zoo is actually a collection of stuffed specimens collected from old lodges around the region. This is supplemented by whatever the members can buy or kill themselves. The flair and good-natured charm are facades however, covering the dark intentions of its owner. History The Zoo was originally another slaver band operating out of The Block, headed by Dan Reelie and Thrasher. The pair's favorite targets were children, both for profit and their own sexual desires. The trail of corpses and broken children left in their wake would incite the region, and a militia was soon after them. After being defeated in two skirmishes, the slavers fell back into the mountains, hiding in an old game lodge. There they would find rotting but mostly intact taxedermied animals, but little of any practical value. Dan would be struck by an idea however, and had his men dress in their brightest clothes. He then ordered them to grab the trophies and follow him to the militia, which they grudgingly did. Reelie and Thrasher would manage to fast talk the posse, convincing them that they were a zoo, and the animals were stuffed for safety. The militia, tense from the expected firefight, delighted in the various creatures the travellers had. The slavers would manage to return safely to The Block, where they would become local legends with the story of their escape, and would milk it throughout the winter. Reelie and Thrasher would take the taxidermies with them when spring came, calling themselves 'Dan Reelie's Travelling Zoo'. They first travelled among the smaller villages of the area, building their reputation as a legitimate group. They would take their first child on April 29, after entering Passage. Thrasher would catch a young girl near one of the supply tents and carried her to the tent he shared with Reelie. They would carry out several depraved acts that night, before chaining her up and then selling her two days later. After facing no repercussions, the zoo would continue on the caravan circuit, taking those children that were vulnerable. Their first year would be an unexpected success, they managed to take thirty children from across the region. They also added some new exhibits after a stop in Thallus. While not the top crew, the Zoo would place in the top five, earning them some of the best quarters for the winter, as well as a few recruits. When spring arrived, they departed in high-spirits and revisited several villages from the year before. They would be regarded with suspicion and mistrust, however, causing them to roam farther afield. They would receive a friendly welcome in Thallus, as well as learning of several towns in Oregon. The Zoo would abstain from any snatchings in gratitude, and also made clean appearances in the first two towns they visited. The band would grow concerned over their lack of merchandise halfway through the year, however, so Thrasher and Reelie announced they'd strike at their next stop. This was a small farming village called Hogansville, and the Zoo would camp for two days here. The first day was spent drawing in a crowd and appraising their value, and the second night they prepared to strike. They would manage to grab seven children as the Zoo was packing up, but would be spotted by another child. The boy ran and told his mother, who quickly raised a posse. the vigilantes would first encounter a trio of slavers leaving the tavern, and fired on them, killing two. The other patrons of the tavern thought the town was being attacked, however, and started to fire at the posse. This would alert the rest of the Zoo, who quickly packed up and left town. they continued south, passing through two more villages with far less trouble, before returning north in September. They would rank a little lower that winter, but still won quarters in the main building. they would emerge motivated in the spring of 2286, having come up with a somewhat more elaborate plan, and put it to the test in Hawthorne. They would make off with six kids, and hit four more towns by mid-summer. Their actions would attract a lot of attention from the decent folks of the region ,however, and after dodging a FNA patrol, they made for Thallus to lie low. They would do this for a week, even selling some flesh in town before moving back north. This would be easier said than done however, as they ran across a squad of roving Badlanders, who tried to rob them. Unwilling to lose face in front of his men. Reelie replied by firing a burst from his combat rifle, downing one of the raiders and causing a firefight. When the dust cleared the Badlanders were killed, but so were three slavers, with another four wounded. Worse, several kids managed to escape in the confusion, running in separate directions. The Zoo would quickly move on, barely pausing to strip the corpses of valuables. They would make it to The Block by early October, and sold their captives before making another run on a nearby tribal village. This time was a straight-forward raid, with women and children taken in collars. This last haul would just put them in seventh for the year, granting them quarters in the main building again. They would gain a handful of recruits that partially made up for their losses, but morale was slower to recover. They would emerge into the spring of 2287 wary, but hopeful. This hope would be strained almost immediately when they were barred from entering Louistown, with the guards threatening to shoot. Not to be deterred, the Zoo continued on, this time to the west. They would encounter a group of missionaries from the Crystal Truth Movement in early March, and would learn of several towns and settlements from them. The slavers would find these towns very accommodating, and would shrug off their earlier troubles as over. By summer they had two dozen captives in their baggage, most of them young boys. They had also been the subject of many conversations, many of them over ham radio. People were beginning to connect them with the disappearances of their children, and a bounty would be placed by September. The Zoo would be unaware of this as they toured however, and they aimed to keep moving toward the coast until winter. Their minds would be changed by a sighting of a Mirelurk queen and the slavers decided to head north toward Canada. They would find the towns disappointing though, and returned south after two weeks with only a few slaves to show for it. By now it was October and the Zoo returned to The Block. Ranking fifth, they look ready to ride out the cold in comfort. Activities & Interests The Zoo operates like many caravans; traveling from settlement to settlement never staying long, but putting on a show while they are there. They are always on the look out for any new or interesting creatures to put on display, and have a good relation with Thallus because of that. They are also focused on the kidnapping and rape of children, as well as their enslavement for profit. While a delicate balancing act, the Zoo leans heavily to the slavery aspect, ensuring few return visits. Category:Raiders Category:Groups Category:Cascadia Category:Slavers